Loa (also Lwa or L'wha) are spirits and intermediaries between humans and the creator, Bondye. Each loa is served through offerings, ceremonial dances, songs and readings. Each Loa has a symbol and a distinct physical form. Many Loa are an extension of Roman Catholic saints. By incorporating the image of the saints, enslaved Africans were able to disguise a religion of their own.

During a ceremony there are people who summon the Loa. There is the Houngan (Priest), Mambo (Priestess) or Bokor (Sorcerers).

Symbol for Agwe

Agwe Also known as "Shell of the Sea," "Eel," and "Tadpole of the Pond."

- Agwe is a water spirit, and is important to seafaring people such as fishermen. Agwe is particularly important in Haiti, an island nation where many residents have depended upon the sea for survival for centuries.- All ships sail upon his sea and he can protect them. During Voodoo rituals, a conch shell is used to call on him. - Services take place near bodies of water. - A barque is prepared with all sort of Agwe's favorite foods, including champagne. This barque is then floated over where it is believed the sacred underwater world exists.- If the barque sinks, then Agwe has accepted the sacrifice and will protect the water interests of those who have prepared the sacrifice.- If the barque were to float back to shore, then the service has been refused and a different manner of placating Agwe would have to be devised. The animals that are sacrificed to him are two white sheep.

Dumballah

- He is known as the serpent god and is the father figure: benevolent, innocent, a loving father.

- Dumballah is the snake and does not communicate well. It seems that is wisdom is beyond our comprehension. His wisdom radiates from his body. He is a snake on land and water; therefore he haunts rivers, springs, and marshes.

- Dumballah is also lightning the lightening god. He and his wife, Aida-Wedo, are often shown as two snakes who look as if they were diving into the sink and by a rainbow. Since he is the bringer of rain, he is good for crops.- People possessed by him dart their tongues in and out, slither along the ground, and climb trees, or roof beams. He is known to whistle because he has no speech.- His special day is Thursday, and his favorite tree is the bougainvillea. White is his color. He is in charge of white metal (silver) and must be fed white food and drink. He grants riches and allows treasures to be discovered.- Dumballah sustains the world and prevents it from disintegrating.- Dumballah and his wife Ayida, represent human sexuality.- In the voodoo culture, the serpent is a symbol of fertility. In the voodoo religion Dumballah is closely associated with the Catholic's St. Patrick.- His favorite foods are eggs, cornmeal, melons, rice, bananas, and grapes. The usual offering to him is a hen and a cock. It is believed that if respects are paid to him by a married couple, he will keep them happy.

Erzulie: (Ezili)

- Voodoo does not have a woman as goddess of fertility. Fertility is regarded as a unified principle, equally held by male and female forces.

- Erzulie is the female energy of Legba. She has several different roles: goddess of the word, love, help, goodwill, health, beauty and fortune, as well as goddess of jealousy, vengeance, and discord.

- She is the ability to conceptualize, the ability to dream, the artistic ability to create. She is the loa of ideality.

- She is the female prototype of voodoo who represents the moon.

- Her sacred days are Tuesday and Thursday. She wears red and blue dresses and jewels. As soon as someone is possessed by her, they are washed and dressed in finery. She is compared to Aphrodite. She is pleasure-loving, extravagant and likes to give and get presents.She loves to dance and is the most graceful of all the loa. - Yet she is closely associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary and her symbol is the heart, usually one broken with an arrow in much the same way as a dominant Catholic portrait of Mary has it. Despite her flirtations and loving ways, Erzulie is a virgin. She is, in the end, one who suffers the burden of the world's sorry. - Erzulie wears three wedding bands since she has been (or is) wedded to Dumballah, Ogoun and Agwe.

Ghede: (Papa Ghede)

- Ghede is the eternal figure in black, controlling the eternal crossroads at which everyone must someday cross over.

- His symbol is the cross upon a tomb and is the Loa of death, resurrection, sexuality, and keeper of the cemeteries.

- When he appears (mounting someone at an invoking ceremony), he wears a pair of dark glasses, from which he knocks out the right lens: for with his right eye he watches those present, lest anyone steal his food.- Papa Guede is a much loved loa because his appearance always brings laughter and joy, singing and dancing; he is usually the last to appear at a ceremony.

- Saturday is his day and his color is black. His favorite foods are salt herring, hot peppers, roasted corn, and roasted bananas, and he is known for stealing food and hiding it, and then demanding more. Black goats and chickens are the animal sacrifices made to him during the rituals.

- Ghede is also often called BARON SAMEDI. In this aspect he is DEATH. He is the keeper of the cemetery and the primary contact with the dead. Anyone who would seek contact with the dead must first contact and solicit Ghede/Baron Samedi in the same way that Legba is contacted to cross over to the spirit world.

- Another of Ghede's great powers is as the protector of children. Ghede generally does not like to see children die. They need a full life. Thus he is the loa to go to when seeking help for a sick child.

- Lastly, since Ghede is the lord of death, he is also the last resort for healing since he must decide whether to accept the sick person into the dead or allow them to recover.

Legba

- Legba is an old man who guards the crossroads and is the origin of life.

- He is to be saluted at the beginning of every ceremony since he is the first loa to be called in service.

- Legba is the contact between the worlds of spirit and of flesh. He can deliver messages of gods in human language and interpret their will. He is the god of destiny and is also the intermediary between human beings and divine gods.

- Voodooists believe that if Legba grants their wishes, they can contact the forces of the universe.

- If you are going on a trip, it is believed that you pray to Legba for protection from harm and a safe return home.

- He is a small crooked lovable old man with a small pipe with little tobacco and has a little food in his macoute sack.- His sacred day is Tuesday and his colors are green, rose, and red. His favorite tree is the medicinier-bebi.- Legba is the symbol of the sun, of daylight, of things positive. Legba controls the cardinal points of the crossroads.

- Legba is also known to hold the "key of the spiritual world", and for this reason is identified with the Christian St. Peter.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.